The Department of Elementary Education offers programs of study, which prepare students to teach and work with young persons in nursery through the sixth grade. Students who successfully complete these programs are granted provisional certification enabling them to teach in New York and many other states.

The primary objective of the Department of Elementary Education is to assist students in developing the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed for successful elementary and middle school teaching. The education curriculum, moreover, offers a foundation for building an enriched life that also can be applied toward the development of a career in human services, industrial training, and public relations. Elementary education students at New Paltz have a two-fold advantage because they graduate with a liberal arts degree and a teaching certificate. The elementary education faculty keeps abreast of current research findings in the field, especially in the areas of teaching and learning. Active research is conducted in several areas, including mathematics education, reading, social studies education, multicultural education, inclusion education, and science education.

Conceptual Framework for the Professional Education Unit:

CARING, CRITICAL, AND REFLECTIVE PROFESSIONALS RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF A DIVERSE SOCIETY

Our unit is committed to the preparation of caring, critical, and reflective professionals who are academically strong, pedagogically skilled, and responsive to the needs of a diverse society. We strive to prepare teachers and school administrators who create classrooms and school communities where all students learn in meaningful ways.

Our work is grounded in these values and commitments, which we strive to nurture in ourselves as in our candidates: